The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in time which took place in Europe and America. It lasted through the 17th and 18th centuries, transforming these societies from mostly agrarian (farming) and rural to more industrial (manufacturing; factories) and urban. Before the Industrial Revolution, people had made most of their products within the home or in small businesses just to be sold within their immediate community. With the Industrial Revolution came powered machines that could produce products in mass volume. There were great improvements during this era in transportation, communication and banking.


Industrialization did help in many ways by improving living conditions for many people. However, it also created terrible conditions for many others. Often children were forced to work in factories. Working conditions in the factories were not safe; people were often seriously injured or killed. In many urban areas people lived in poor conditions. Many people lived in tenement housing (run down, over crowded apartment buildings).

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